


a little bit of give and take

by weaselett



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28701600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weaselett/pseuds/weaselett
Summary: He always knows when they need him, even if it isn't always the way he would like.
Relationships: Gabrielle/Joxer/Xena, Gabrielle/Xena, Joxer/Meg
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: Holly Poly 2020





	a little bit of give and take

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Missy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/gifts).



The dreams help. 

It’s not something he’s ever mentioned to them, sure he’s mentioned it to others, made allusions about them, but he’s never outright told the girls about them.

A man has got to have his secrets. 

So yeah, the dreams help. He can tell, when he’s not with them, that things are going well, and he knows when he’s needed. 

Even if he wished they needed him for different reasons. 

Even if he wishes they would just stop dying. Stop dying and keep living until a good old age. 

Alright, it’s not happened that often, but more than once is too many. 

ONCE is too many. 

Joxer sighs, leaning back in his chair, dwelling on things. His mom always told him he did that too much, but she’d been a worrier too. 

Best friends. Soul mates. 

It’s a strange thing. 

“Thinking about Gabrielle again.” Meg nudges him, almost pushing him out of his chair. 

“Hey!”

Meg’s eyebrows raise, lips quirking, she knows him too damn well. 

“It’s been a while since I saw them last, that’s all.” Joxer sniffs, reaching for his ale, “Never know what trouble they might be getting into without me to watch their backs.”

Meg’s smiles widens and she empties her ale in one go, shoulders twisted just so. “You need a distraction.”

“Meg.”

She leans forward, just enough, shifting her hips. She knows him far, far too well. “You’ll sleep better, and you know it.” Meg shifts closer, knees touching his thighs. 

Joxer hesitates, looking at Meg, the woman who looks like Xena to everyone else, but hasn’t to him for years. It’s never been a serious, permanent thing, they have fun, and he’ll do almost anything for her. “You know...” He slides a hand into her hair, thumb tracing over her forehead. 

Meg laughs, “I know, silly.” She’s so bright, in another world, maybe she would be enough, maybe she would be the one. She leans in, nipping his nose, “I fed you, now it’s your turn.”

-

His love for Xena is subtler, easier, than the love he has for Gabrielle. 

He knows, has always known, that she’ll never look at him with lust, but he treasures her all the same. He thinks she feels the same.

There had been a time when he'd been a little intimidated by her, but truth is, he knows she's a softy really. He'd never think to ruin her rep though, he knows how important these things are.

Xena’s hand brushes his shoulder after a hard day, her gaze is understanding, her voice soft.

She’s never fearsome, never the warrior princess in those moments. 

She’s his dearest friend. 

The nightmare is bad, a mix of every bad thing he’s done, and he wakes to her hand on his shoulder, gentle, almost the same as when she reaches out to calm Argo.

“Hey, it’s ok,” Xena’s voice is soft as she kneels down beside him, Gabrielle’s still asleep next to them, little snores giving her away. 

“Sorry if I woke you.” Joxer shifts, rolling onto his back, waiting for his heartbeat to calm. 

“I wasn’t sleeping anyhow.” Xena smiles, hand moving down his arm to squeeze before she lets go. It feels like she can see right through him, but she never leaves. 

Doesn’t mock, not any more, not in a way that’s aimed at hurting him. 

She says harsher things to Gabrielle, and it always makes him feel better. He’s not the only who struggles with her. 

“Still.” Joxer shrugs, offering a faint smile, “I seem to just keep waking you up these days. Bet you can’t wait to see the back of me.”

Xena frowns at him, then smacks him lightly on the head, he rolls a little, but laughs despite himself. “Ouch.”

“It happens to all of us, and we miss you, when too much time passes between meetings.” Xena scolds, before shifting, repositioning her blanket so she’s between him and Gabrielle. “Plus, an extra body keeps the chill away.”

Her arm brushes his as she settles and he smiles. 

“You should try and get some more sleep,” She says, shifting a little, her hip touching his, “we’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Small comforts, and quiet understanding. Those are Xena's speciality.

-

When the dreams are good, he sees them together, fighting the good fight, laughing as they settle down for the night.

The good dreams are clear, always, he gets to see them happy, gets to know that he doesn’t need to worry. 

When the dreams are bad, they aren’t so clear, but he is always left with a sense of where to go. Sometimes, most times, he gets to them before the bad thing happens, other times, he’s not so lucky. 

Sometimes, it turns out badly for him instead. But that's ok, Joxer the Mighty can cope with a little pain. Better it be him than them.

The dreams don’t come from the gods, he’s pretty sure of that. Ares hates sharing Xena as it is, and the others certainly don’t think highly of her these days. 

Honestly, he doesn’t know where they come from, he’s just glad they do.

Sometimes, it's just better to accept a thing than question it.

-

He loves Gabrielle.

It’s not easy, and it hasn’t always been pretty, but she knows, now. 

He’s spoken the words, and Xena knows as well. Not that she didn’t already know, but still, even if, even if the worst happens again, she knows. 

“You’re my best friend.” Gabrielle whispers, curling into him. It’s a cold night and Xena’s keeping watch while they sleep. 

“I know.” He replies, shifting closer, letting her arrange herself however she wants. 

“And I do love you.” She tilts her head back, hand squeezing his shoulder.

He smiles at her, lifting his hand to her chin, rubbing his thumb along it, “I know that too.”

“Good.” There’s a pause, as she shifts again and he moves his hand, letting her settle with her head resting on his chest. “I’m glad you have Meg.” There’s a teasing lilt to her voice and his smile softens, but he doesn’t ask. 

"I'm glad you have Xena." He whispers, once she's asleep, her little snores giving her away, and as he wonders.

It would only make sense, for the dreams to come to them as well. 

-

It’s like this. 

When he parts ways with Xena and Gabrielle, he checks in with the others. All the people that mean something to him. All the people that mean something to _them_.

They’ve never asked, and he thinks they, well, Gabrielle, probably doesn’t even see, but it’s the least he can do. His life has changed so much for the better since meeting them.

The least he can do is keep an eye on the important people. If it's a way to feel closer to his girls, even when he's not with them, he'd not going to tell. 

There are ties binding them. He knows this because they have been there for the biggest and most meaningful moments of his life. They're paths criss corss one another, never straying too far.

And a part of him knows that will always be true. Whatever the future holds, whatever there is for them, after this life. 

The dreams are the real sign, Jace says, that he’s tied to the girls, as much as they are to each other. 

It’s a strange kind of comfort. 

Even when it's not.

Joxer’s well known, on the paths he treads the most often, to Poteidaia, and to Amphipolis, then it’s just a matter of figuring out where life has taken Meg this time, sometimes that means getting her out a jam. Passing through the same villages, watching relationships blossom and children grow. Peace regained.

There are others that he checks on less frequently, children who are always an appreciative audience for his stories, even if Gabrielle never is. 

Their styles are different, his stories only work told while walking, or in the inn, or by firelight. Gabrielle’s are best in writing, or read from a scroll. 

His stories evolve, grow, Gabrielle’s are fixed. Gabrielle’s can be treasured, stored, and they will last into the future. Even if he has to be the one to make sure they do.

He always gets more audience participation anyhow. 

“What happened next?” Princess Megara’s eyes are full of wonder.

“Well, the evil warlord’s men fell at my feet, begging for mercy. They promised that they would help the villagers rebuild, if only I spared their lives.” Joxer catches sight of the Queen, slipping into the room, and knows better than to drag the story out any longer, “Xena believed they were true in their intent to change, so I set them free, with a warning.”

“That if you ever heard that they had returned to their old ways you would return?”

“That’s right.” Joxer shifted the Princess’ stuffed horse out of the way so he could stand, “And it’s time for me to leave.”

Megara yawned, “Villagers to save, warlords to defeat, maidens to rescue.” Her voice grows fainter with each word, and Joxer can’t help but smile. 

“That’s right, Princess. I’ll tell you all about it, next time I visit.” She’s asleep before he finishes talking, the excitement always wears her out. 

The Queen squeezes his arm, then ushers him out. 

As he walks through the quiet of the palace he takes a moment, knowing that they were here once, knowing they would be glad to know the good has continued to win out. He feels close to them, even with the distance he knows there is between them. 

Joxer smiles to himself, heading up to his room for the night, and hopefully sweet dreams. 

-

The sweetest dreams are the ones where Gabrielle and Xena are together, entangled in an actual bed, content. They’ve had a good day, Gabrielle’s found the right words, Xena’s worked off the right amount of her restless energy. 

All is right with the world.

It took a few years before he was able to experience one of those nights in person, before he was welcomed in close. He loved those nights, when he stayed in the inn for an extra ale before joining them, slipping into the bed and snuggling in. 

Sometimes, they draw him into the middle, though those are normally the days when he leaves a little blood on the sheets. Half healed scabs pulling. It's nice when it happens, to be surrounded by them, safe in their arms. 

Most of the time though he goes to whichever one of them needs him more. Gabrielle likes to snuggle, to be cradled between them, while Xena just likes to be able to feel them both. He'll sleep with his back pressed to Xena's while she holds Gabrielle close. 

There’s no one physical place that they share, but they can always find each other when it matters, and they are always connected.

It's a different kind of home, but it's his, it's theirs, and that's what matters.


End file.
